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Phone: 978.740.9749 E-mail: info@pranahealthcenter.com Directions to Prana |
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT YOGA (FAQ's) What is Yoga? Developed in India, Yoga is a psycho-physical discipline with roots going back over 5,000 years. Today, most Yoga practices in the West focuses on the physical postures called "asanas," breathing exercises called "pranayama," and meditation. The word "Yoga" means union. The focus is often on improved physical fitness, mental clarity, greater self-understanding, stress control and general well-being. Spirituality, however, is a strong underlying theme to most practices. The beauty of Yoga is in its versatility, allowing practitioners to focus on the physical, psychological or spiritual, or a combination of all three. How many times a week should one do yoga? Most schools teach a practice session that lasts 60-90 minutes. If you can do that everyday -- great. If not, try and do that much a few days a week, including a class or two, and fill in with shorter sessions on days when you don't have as much time. Any yoga is better than no yoga, and 20 to 30 minutes a day is better than 90 minutes once a week. How many types of Yoga are there? Which one is right for me? There are many and any one of them will help you. The best thing to do is sample classes of a few different styles and go with the teacher you like the best. The teacher is more important than the style. The most important thing is to get started. What is Om and why is it chanted? The syllable Om is composed of the three sounds a-u-m which represent several important triads: the three worlds of earth, atmosphere, and heaven; the three major Hindu gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva; and the three sacred Vedic scriptures, Rg, Yajur, and Sama. Thus Om mystically embodies the essence of the entire universe. It is uttered at the beginning and end of Hindu prayers, chants, and meditations. Is yoga aerobic? Yes and...maybe. Aerobic exercise is simply exercise that improves oxygenization of the blood through an increased heart rate and deeper breathing. Yoga can do that, expecially those styles such as Astanga and ViniYoga that have a strong focus on the flow of one posture to another. Do you have to be flexible to practice yoga? Yoga really has nothing to do with being flexible. Postures are created to heal or maintain the health and vitality of the places they expose. If you are carrying a lot of tension in an area that a pose exposes, the tension will release, and your range of motion will increase. Yet, if there is no tension in the area, there is no need to release any, and the pose's job is now to maintain it's tension free status as well as create stimulation, which facilitates circulation which promotes oxygenation which is a prerequisite for regeneration as well as flushing out toxicity. The goal is to maintain vitality, not to create flexibility. Too much flexibility creates a state of instability and that's not healthy. Not eveyone is supposed to be able to put their leg behind their head! Has it been proven that yoga is good for you? Yes. Western science has been studying yoga for nearly 50 years, and the evidence shows numerous physical and psychological benefits from yoga. What is the most physically challenging form of yoga? Any one of the basic styles can be physically challenging. It depends on what you do and how you approach it. Some styles focus on holding postures for a long time, which can be very challenging. Others link a series of postures into a single flow, which results in a physical workout. Ashtanga, Bikram's, Iyengar and Power Yoga are probably the most physically focused forms of Yoga. Is it okay to practice Yoga while pregnant? It's okay to continue practicing yoga while you are pregnant as long as you were practicing before conception. Yoga is a great way to keep fit during pregnancy. In particular it can help strengthen the pelvic area, normalize thyroid functioning and blood pressure, and help keep you calm and relaxed -- all of which is good for the baby, too. In general, however, you want to avoid strain, compressing the belly or abdomen and inverted postures, especially in the later stages. It's also a good idea to work with a yoga teacher with pre-natal yoga experience. |
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